740.0011 European War 1939/31744

The Ambassador in Spain (Hayes) to President Roosevelt

Dear Mr. President: This exposed flank of ours becomes, I am glad to report, progressively less critical and dangerous. General Franco is giving evidence of having taken seriously what I told him in our lengthy conversation on July 28th33—that in her own interest Spain could no longer afford (1) to adhere to dubious “non-belligerency”, (2) to tolerate a markedly pro-Axis press and radio, (3) to leave the pro-German Falange uncurbed, or (4) to maintain the Blue Division on the Russian front.

Ten days after that conversation, the Caudillo issued orders to the press to change its tune and to observe strict impartiality between the belligerents—orders which are not yet universally obeyed but which have led to a very obvious improvement in the principal newspapers. He must also have given special curbing instructions to those Falangist leaders most inclined to combat us in deed or in word. There has been a notable lessening of Falangist oratory, and even the big chief, Arrese,34 … now subordinates his customary denunciation of communism to an elaborate exposition of the thesis that Falange is not a platform, that it is sui generis and should not be confused with any foreign product like Fascism or Naziism, and that, above all, it is “adaptable”.

Last Friday, the Caudillo gave his annual gala reception in the Oriente Palace to the diplomatic corps and the staffs of the various Spanish ministries, and afterwards made a speech. This year, unlike previous years, he did not receive the “Party” and did not wear the Falangist uniform. He wore instead a naval uniform—perhaps in [Page 621] confirmation of what he said at La Coruña, last month, to the effect that Spain’s future, like her past, was on the sea and toward the Americas. And in the speech he made, last Friday,35 he uttered publicly and solemnly, for the first time, the hitherto tabooed word of “neutrality” to define Spain’s international position. I am sure we shall never again hear of Spain’s “non-belligerency”. It is as politically dead as its author, Serrano Suñer.36 Jordana has triumphed …

By now, too, the Spanish Blue Division should have been on its way out of Russia. I have it from excellent, but of course confidential, sources that shortly after I talked with Franco on July 28th he consulted the Supreme War Council—the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Army, Navy and Air, and the Chiefs of Staff—and obtained their unanimous approval for the gradual withdrawal of the Legion. But then, on August 20th, Sir Samuel Hoare went to Franco at La Coruña with what Jordana has since described to me and also to the British Chargé as a “blare of trumpets”, apparently encouraging the British press and the BBC to proclaim that he went with “demands” for the Legion’s withdrawal. The publicity from Britain about it has continued to date with the unhappy results that the Spanish Government, if it should now withdraw the Legion, would seem to do so through compulsion and not on its own initiative, which hurts Spanish pride, and that, with the Germans alarmed and exerting heavy counter-pressure, the Legion still remains in Russia.

Nevertheless, the Legion has shrunk during the last two months to about 11,000 men, and, with a cessation of the unfortunate publicity from Britain and with the rapidly lessening fear of Germany on the part of the Spanish Government, I expect that further shrinkage of the Legion will soon ensue and that all the Spanish boys will be out of the trenches in Russia well before Christmas. Meanwhile, I am utilizing every opportunity quietly to press Jordana on the matter.

I don’t mean to imply, from all the foregoing, that we are entirely out of the woods in Spain. The Germans here as elsewhere are now desperate and, failing to arrest the drift of the Spanish Government toward us, they are redoubling their efforts through propaganda and intrigue to halt the drift of popular opinion towards us. Of late they have been especially active in attempting to increase the number of “diehards” among the Falange—who also are desperate—and to incite them against Jordana and other “compromisers” within the Government. Rumors even emanate from them of a pro-Axis coup d’état against Franco.

From reports reaching me from Lisbon, I gather that Portugal will shortly join us in the war. Such a development will be a crucial [Page 622] test of Spain’s position between Germany, on the one hand, and the United States and Great Britain on the other. I believe that Germany will utilize it in a supreme (and last) endeavor to embroil Spain in war against us. I also believe that, thanks to our now obvious military superiority and to the policy which, during the past eighteen months, we have pursued towards Spain, this country—its Government as well as its people—will resist all German blandishments and threats.

The Italian Ambassador here, with the Military, Naval, Commercial and Press Attachés, is cooperating with us loyally and helpfully. Furthermore, he is managing to line up almost all the staff of his Embassy and Consulates and the majority of the large Italian colony with the King37 and Badoglio.38 We have assurances from Jordana that Spain will continue to recognize the Royal Italian Government and will withhold recognition from the puppet government of Mussolini.

May I call your attention to a brillant and, in my opinion, most important article on “Roman Night” by Gouverneur Paulding in The Commonweal for August 13, 1943. It deals with a fundamental problem which will confront us not only in Italy but all over central and western Europe—the problem of how to obviate or mitigate the internal hatreds and strife within countries externally freed by our arms.

When the time seems propitious, I should like to report in person to you and to Mr. Secretary Hull. I have been here steadily now for seventeen months.

With hearty congratulations to you on the progress of the war, I am,

Faithfully yours,

Carlton J. H. Hayes
  1. See airgram No. A–368, July 29, noon, from the Ambassador in Spain, p. 611.
  2. José Luis Arrese, Secretary General of the Falange Party in Spain.
  3. October 1.
  4. Ramón Serrano Suñer preceded Jordana as Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs.
  5. King Victor Emmanuel III.
  6. Marshal Pietro Badoglio became Prime Minister of Italy following the resignation and arrest of Mussolini on July 25, 1943.